Nantucket summer and fresh, briny seafood go hand in hand; whether it’s buttery, steamed lobster, quahog chowder, or oysters on the half-shell, Island visitors enjoy these dishes with gusto. Pairing wine with seafood isn’t complicated. Wash oysters down with a bright, snappy light-bodied white and complement lobster with a richer, sunny chardonnay for an easy, un-fussy affair. But what about fish with sauces, or Asian preparations? That’s where our guide comes in! Read below for some classic pairings for your favorite seafood dishes, and find some new ones too!
Sparkling wine and fried seafood-
Much like light, crisp beers complement fried seafood, sparkling wine is the perfect match for a crispy, savory basket of fried oysters, clams or fish. The naturally high acidity and effervescence cut right through the richness of fried seafood. Truly palate cleansing, sparkling wines refresh the taste buds, heightening the experience of both the wine and the dish! Sparkling wine is also pretty perfect with caviar, and don’t forget the potato chips for serving! If sparkling wine doesn’t thrill you, try another light, crisp white like Portuguese vinho verde, or a sauvignon blanc based French white Bordeaux.
Light white wine with lean, white fish-
When serving lean, white fish prepared simply, such as pan-seared, crudo-style, and taco preparations, there are a myriad of white wines to choose from! Flounder, halibut, fluke, snapper, raw clams, or oysters all would do well paired with pinot grigio and classic French Muscadet. Italian varietals like Gavi, field blends of un-oaked chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, & coastal French picpoul all work great as well! Chalky, crisp sauvignon blancs from Sancerre pair wonderfully with striped bass and even oilier bluefish. Don’t overlook dry Riesling as a fantastic pairing for briny oysters and clams. Looking for something more unique? Herbal and citrus tones of Vermentino & Austrian gruner veltliner are great choices.
A bit more body, a bit more richness-
Chardonnay with balanced oak and white wines with a bit more body like French Rhone white blends of viognier, marsanne and roussane pair wonderfully with lobster and sea scallops. If your seafood preparations include butter, even better! Monkfish, skate, bluefish, shrimp and crab would be finely suited to these wines as well. The full-bodied character of these wines really complement the richer flavors of the fish, letting both shine through. If you have a broth-based soup, Chardonnay works wonderfully. Alsatian pinot gris is a wonderful wine that’s well-suited to leaner or more rich fish preparations. A bit of a chameleon, it can be a good choice if only serving one type of white, say, at a party or wedding.
Spiced and spicy!-
Fuller whites that often have some lingering sweetness and high aromatics lend themselves perfectly to Asian preparations for seafood or anything spicy. Gewurztraminer and riesling are especially good with zingy Vietnamese seafood. Austrian gruner veltliner and alpine whites such as pinot gris, pinot blanc, muller thurgau and auxerrois balance aromatics, body, and acidity that work well with Indian or Moroccan dishes. Want to go off the beaten track? Skin-contact whites (white wine that has been left to macerate on their grape skins, imparting body, aromatics and textures) make a thought-provoking and fun pairing to these dishes.
Chilled reds with meatier fish-
Light red wines are seeing a boom in popularity, and it’s easy to see why. They are high on fresh characteristics! light, fruity, refreshing and low on tannins, they are the perfect choice for pairing a wide variety of summer foods. Serve chilled, around 50 degrees, and you will see why too! A big red wine with seafood is, in most cases, going to overpower your dish and your taste buds. Instead, reach for a light red to pair with salmon, tuna, halibut, swordfish, mackerel, bluefish, or other fatty, meaty, big-flavored fish. A lighter Chianti with spaghetti and clam sauce can be lovely, as can tomato based dishes with French field blends comprised of carignan, gamay, pineau d’aunis, or pinot noir.
Rosé, an all-around great choice-
Let’s not forget the unsung hero that rosé lends to pairing fish and wine! They are there in a pinch when a dish’s sauce is heavier than what a white would call for, but not quite full-bodied enough for a red wine. Rosey hued fish generally make great pairings with rosé like grilled swordfish or tuna steaks, roasted salmon, and even raw preparations like crudos and ceviche, too. Make sure that there is plenty of fresh acidity in the rosé to help cut through any rich sauces or big flavors that you are adding! Rosé also is a good choice with a tomato-based seafood soup, such as cioppino or zuppa da pesce.
Happy pairing!
Leah Mojer, Wine Manager